Figment
by linden12
Summary: Chapter 5 added. Harm and Mac continue to grow closer as they spend some time together. H/M
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine (wouldn't it be nice if they were?) and no infringement is intended. Feedback is always welcome!! This is my first fic so I hope you all enjoy!  
  
  
  
JAG Headquarters  
  
Falls Church, VA  
  
1722 hours  
  
"Well Colonel, you almost had me that time." Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. cast a sidelong glance at his partner. Neither of them took very well to losing a case, especially when they lost to each other. Instinctively, Harm knew losing this case would be even tougher on Mac than usual.  
  
He spared another glance for his partner as he recalled the particulars of the recently completed case. Prior to the trial, she had seemed so sure about her case against the petty officer. Vincent Beckett had been accused of assaulting a fellow shipmate outside a bar one night. It was supposed to be an open and shut case for the prosecution. She'd even had a witness who had seen the entire thing, or at least claimed to see the entire thing. On an impulse, Harm had started poking around when this so-called witness was on the stand. He'd actually gotten the guy to admit he'd been lying the entire time.  
  
It turned out the guy was just a friend of the plaintiff who figured he'd help his friend out. In actuality, the witness had still been inside the bar during the altercation, which blew a big hole in the plaintiff's credibility. There had really been nothing Mac could do after that little bomb had been dropped. Harm was snapped out of his reverie by Mac. "Please, don't patronize me, Commander. I just can't believe I let that idiot get on the witness stand and blow my entire case!"  
  
"Oh, come on Mac. It wasn't that bad."  
  
Mac gave her partner a look that let him know exactly what she thought about his last remark. On an impulse, Harm said, "Well why don't you let me make it up to you? Do you have any plans for tonight?"  
  
"Thanks for the offer Harm, but I'm not really sure I feel like doing anything tonight. Not to mention I'd never hear the end of how the great Harmon Rabb Jr. beat me in court once again." Mac gave her partner a poke in the ribs to let him know she was only kidding with the last remark.  
  
For not the first time in the recent past, Harm thought about how lucky he was to have Mac in his life. He couldn't believe how close he'd come to losing her with the whole Mic thing. Harm still wouldn't admit that it had been anything more than a "thing". Admitting she might have actually been in love with the stupid Australian made him sick to his stomach. After all, she really was the best thing going for him right now, she had been for a long time, although he'd probably kill himself before admitting that to anyone. Especially to her. Lost in thought, Harm didn't notice Mac staring into his eyes.  
  
"Earth to Harm," she joked as she slowly waved her hand in front of his face. Harm shook his head slightly to clear away the few stray thoughts about his relationship with Mac. That was definitely not something he should be pondering in the hallway of the JAG office.  
  
"Sorry, just lost in thought," he replied sheepishly.  
  
"I could have told you that," she countered dryly. "You must be getting slow in your old age if it's taking you this long to think up a comeback." She smiled at him and he immediately smiled back with one of his patented "fly-boy" grins. 'No matter how many of those I see, I'll never get tired of them' Mac thought to herself.  
  
"First of all, Ninja-girl, I'm not that much older than you, so I would watch what you say about getting old. And second of all, I would never boast about my amazing abilities in the courtroom." Harm proudly began to strut down the hallway, earning himself a playful slap on the shoulder.  
  
The pair continued to laugh and talk in the hallway as Petty officer Vincent Beckett rounded the corner. Seeing the two attorneys acting so friendly made the young man terribly angry. He couldn't believe his defense attorney could be so chummy with the stupid bitch who had tried to put him in jail! 'Rabb probably didn't even care if I got sent to jail for the rest of my life!' Vinny thought to himself. 'Why would he want to upset little miss bimbo the prosecutor? Ha, he's probably even sleeping with the Colonel; she looks like she'd be easy.'  
  
Such thoughts continued to run through his mind as a plan began to form. If only…yes, there was the man he was looking for! The guard from the courtroom was walking down the hallway towards the Petty officer. As he passed Harm and Mac, the guard saluted but didn't really slow down. Vinny rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He knew he'd only get one shot, so he had to make it good.  
  
As the guard came abreast in the hallway, Vinny made a movement as if to salute. The guard began to return the salute and was caught off balance when Vinny lunged forward and grabbed the pistol from his hip holster.  
  
Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, Harm turned toward the scene a few paces down the hallway and felt time slow down. The fact that the pistol was aimed at Mac registered almost immediately. Without a second thought, Harm placed himself between his partner and his client as a single gunshot rang out in the hallway.  
  
A sharp pain exploded into Harm's body, but he couldn't really pinpoint where it was coming from. The hallway seemed to spin as he felt himself slowly fall to his knees and slump to the ground. He felt a pressure on his chest, as though someone where sitting on it. That thought didn't seem quite right to Harm though. 'I just got shot,' he mused to himself. 'Why would someone be sitting on my chest?'  
  
Harm felt someone take his head in gentle hands and prop it up. Instinctively, Harm knew the hands and legs that pillowed his head belonged to his partner. He forced his eyes to open, feeling an intense need to look her in the eyes.  
  
Harm tried to raise his hand and wipe away the tears he saw beginning to flow down Mac's face. His arm didn't seem to respond though. He tried to speak, to tell her everything was going to be fine. He couldn't get the words to come out though. His mouth was suddenly very dry.  
  
Instead, it was Mac who attempted to soothe her partner. Gently caressing his face, she whispered "It's gonna be alright, Harm. Everything is gonna be fine. Don't do this to me! I need you too much for you to go and die on me. Why in the world would you step in front of a bullet just to save me? Why do you always have to play the hero?" The tears were now streaming down Mac's face as she vainly fought for control of the situation. Harm tried again to speak, but couldn't seem to form the words.  
  
'Why wouldn't I step in front of you Mac?' Harm thought. He tried to communicate the idea as best as he could. He needed her to understand that he'd put his own life on the line to save hers whenever necessary. He needed her to know he'd do it without a second thought and never regret it.  
  
Lying on the ground, Harm barely noticed that things were beginning to fade out. He no longer heard the bustle in the hallway as several guards restrained the petty officer. He no longer heard the frantic shouts for an ambulance and paramedics. He no longer felt the intense pain in his chest. The only thing he was aware of was the face of his partner above him. 'She looks like an angel,' Harm thought. 'She really is beautiful.'  
  
Eventually, however, even her face began to fade. He tried to hold on. Mac's frantic demands that he stay awake barely registered as he began to float in an inky blackness. Faint, as though she were far away, Harm heard Mac whisper, "Don't you dare leave me sailor. I need you too much. I love you too much. Please don't leave…please." Harm wasn't sure, but he thought he managed to whisper her name before he slid into the abyss.  
  
"Sarah………………" 


	2. Chapter 2

Ok guys. Here's the second part. I hope you all like it. Once again, the characters don't belong to me, they never will, and I am making absolutely no money off this thing!  
  
And thanks to everyone who gave such GREAT feedback. You all make the writing worth it! Enjoy!  
  
  
  
JAG Headquarters  
  
Falls Church, VA  
  
2 weeks later  
  
Harm stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that would take him up to the JAG office. 'Man, it feels like I was just here,' Harm thought to himself. 'These past two weeks have really gone by in a blur.'  
  
"Yes they have, haven't they?" Harm twisted around at the sound of a female voice behind him. Standing in the elevator was a tall ensign with long, sandy-brown hair and big brown eyes. She looked familiar, but Harm was unable to recall where or when he had ever met this particular subordinate. He tried to read the nametag pinned on the right side of her chest, but he was unable to make it out from where he stood. Giving her a critical look, Harm wondered how he had possibly missed her when he entered the elevator. She was standing towards the rear of the elevator, so obviously she had to have been there when he got on. 'But I could have sworn I was alone.'  
  
"Oh, you were."  
  
"Excuse me, what was that?" Harm asked wondering if he had heard her right.  
  
"I said you were alone," she answered him with a puzzled look. "If you want to get technical about it, I guess you are pretty much still alone. Although I tend to have a higher opinion of myself." Harm was completely confused by now. He had no idea how the ensign had suddenly appeared behind him or how she seemed to know what he was thinking.  
  
'It's is too damn early for something like this,' Harm thought as he turned around. 'I'll just ignore her until I can get to my office, shut the door, and pray the admiral doesn't remember I'm scheduled to return today.'  
  
"Good luck with that," the voice called from over his shoulder. 'Don't turn around, just wait for the doors to slide open and head straight for your office.' Harm ordered himself. The elevator, however, seemed to be taking an especially long time this morning, and Harm found himself unconsciously humming along with the lazy music. It was almost an entire minute more before Harm came to the startling conclusion that the elevator wasn't moving. He reached over and pressed the button again, but the elevator still didn't move.  
  
"I wouldn't waste your time."  
  
At the sound of the ensign's voice Harm spun around and drew himself up to his full six feet four inches. "First of all, when addressing a senior officer a certain amount of deference tends to be expected."  
  
The ensign seemed to straighten up. Much to Harm's dismay, however, she then proceeded to throw up a mock salute and responded with a sarcastic, "Aye, aye sir!" Harm couldn't believe what he was seeing. Never before had he met an ensign who was so blatantly disrespectful. Above all else, Harm saw himself as an officer of the US Navy whose duty it was to correct the errors of the young woman.  
  
"You may not know me, but I am Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. You will address me as sir and…" Harm's voice trailed off when he saw the amused expression on the ensign's face. Her eyes, however, were focused over Harm's shoulder. Involuntarily, Harm turned toward the front of the elevator to see what could be so captivating to the young woman in the middle of his tirade. Leaning against the opening to the elevator was Mac.  
  
Before Harm could speak, Mac cut him off. "Listen squid. I know they had you pretty doped up in the hospital. After all, I was there twenty-four hours a day until you woke up, and for most of the time after that too. But I still don't think the admiral would be very happy to see you talking to yourself in an empty elevator."  
  
"Thank you very much for the expert advice," Harm replied sarcastically. "I was not talking to myself. I was addressing ensign…" Harm turned around to find an empty elevator.  
  
Mac gave her partner a puzzled look. "You wanna run that by me again sailor? You've been standing here with the elevator door open for the entire 37 seconds it took me to walk down the hallway and for the additional 12 seconds I stood here watching you. I can say with absolute certainty that there was no one else in the elevator for that entire time." She continued to look at him with amusement twinkling in her eye, while Harm fought to figure out what had just happened.  
  
'Oh well. Maybe she's right. Maybe I am still a little foggy from all the medication the doctors prescribed.' Regaining his composure, Harm stepped aside to let Mac into the elevator. Trying to salvage a small piece of his pride, because he was sure he would never hear the end of this one, he flashed a grin at his partner. "Don't mock me Marine. All great geniuses talk to themselves. I remember hearing somewhere that Vincent van Gogh talked to himself all the time." He cast a sidelong glance at his partner to see if she was buying any of his babbling.  
  
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open as the corner of Mac's mouth quirked up in a small smile. "Van Gogh was a workaholic who cut off his own ear and sent it to someone in a box." Exiting the elevator she glanced over her shoulder and called out, "now I know you really enjoy your work, but personally I think you look better with both ears. Of course that's just me."  
  
Harm could still hear her beautiful laughter as she entered her office and shut the door. Sighing, Harm headed for his own office and back to all the work that had piled up over the last two weeks. Glancing at his desk, he noted the large stack of files. Of course, after all this time it had become more of a pile than a stack. Exasperated, Harm began sorting and restacking the files. 'My desk has never been this bad,' he thought to himself. 'Of course Mac's always looks like a war zone and she still seems to manage.' As unbidden thoughts of his partner sprang up, Harm felt a grin spread across his face. It was going to be a long day, but maybe he'd be able to talk Mac into dinner and a video at his place after work. Harm leaned back in his chair as he began making plans for the evening. He knew exactly what to make Mac for dinner. 'Definitely not Harm's meatless meatloaf, but maybe…'  
  
Harm's mind returned to reality rather abruptly as the newly restacked files began sliding to the floor. Hopelessly, Harm looked at the mess of loose papers and manila folders on the ground. 'This is going to be a very long day.'  
  
"You can say that again." Harm raised his head with a jerk to see the same ensign that had been in the elevator. "I guess it'd be more appropriate to say you can say that. You know, without the again. Since you didn't really say it the first time, you just thought it. Maybe I ought to just say 'you can think that again!'" The young woman began pacing the area on the other side of Harm's desk with a puzzled expression on her face.  
  
Harm blinked, twice. "I knew you were really there!" Harm said triumphantly.  
  
The ensign stopped pacing and replied sarcastically, "That's great, Sherlock. I ought to give you a medal or something." Harm's mouth dropped open as he tried to formulate a reply. "Now I'll be the first to point out the fact that you have nice teeth, especially when you smile, but I really don't need to have such a wonderful view of them." Harm snapped his mouth closed and slowly stood up with a stack of files in his hand. 


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Ok guys! I'm sooooo sorry it took me so long to upload the next chapter. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. I know it's a little confusing so far, but don't worry. It'll all make sense in the end!!  
  
"Do I know you?" Harm asked calmly, trying to sound as though random ensigns appeared in his office all the time.  
  
The young women hesitated, gazing hard at Harm as though trying to make a decision. "I guess you could say we're acquainted." After a short pause, she nodded and mumbled, "sure, acquainted. That sounds good." The ensign seemed to be talking to herself again as she mumbled, "Geez Sam, you're really doing a great job here." Harm couldn't keep the confused look off his face. The tall woman was definitely in his office, and now he was positive that she had been in the elevator too. But is she had been there, why hadn't Mac seen her? And how had she gotten out of the elevator without either he or Mac noticing?  
  
However it happened, Harm decided he simply didn't have the time to deal with the ensign or the energy to see her disciplined for her insubordination. "Now I've hardly been insubordinate. I have been perfectly civil to you this entire time." The young woman planted her fists on her hips as she took a step towards the ever more confused Commander. "In fact," she continued, "I think I would make an excellent naval officer." As she sat down in his chair and began to practice saluting, Harm wondered how the situation had gotten so out of control. Obviously this girl had some mental incapacity that made it best for him to simply humor her.  
  
Hmmm…what he needed to do now was a little investigating. But where to start? He had to find out who this person was and why she seemed intent on driving him crazy! Harm slowly counted to ten in an attempt to regain his composure. "You said you're name was Sam, right?" Harm finally ventured.  
  
Startled, the ensign looked at him from across his desk. "Actually, I don't think I did say, but I do have a tendency to let things slip." This answer seemed to satisfy her, for she shortly returned to practicing salutes again. 'Well, that didn't really get me anywhere" Harm thought to himself. Maybe he needed to change tactics. This young woman didn't seem to respond to the direct approach so maybe he could try the not so direct approach. As Harm contemplated whether there actually was such a thing as the "not so direct approach" and how exactly he could implement it, he began pacing the floor in front of his desk. HIS desk! And that girl was still sitting in HIS chair. 'This is not at all what I needed today' Harm groaned inwardly.  
  
"Stop whining! Things are tough all over, and I for one don't think you have much to complain about." The ensign seemed to add a glare to her words just for good measure.  
  
This was really just too much. It was almost as if this girl was reading his mind. Harm prided himself on being a realist, and while he was more than willing to buy into Mac's apparent sixth sense, he wasn't about to believe this ensign could hear his thoughts. Without thinking, Harm snapped, "how in the hell do you do that?" The answer came not from the young women at his desk but from a thoroughly confused Bud Roberts at the door.  
  
"Do what, Sir?" the lieutenant asked with a puzzled look. "All I did was knock. You know, lifted up my hand and hit the…well I guess I kinda made a fist before I hit, you know not like really hit just kinda tap really but you have to make the fist or else you're just kinda slapping instead of knocking…" Bud trailed off as he caught the exasperated look in the commander's eyes.  
  
In an attempt to stop the lieutenant from launching into another explanation on the art of knocking, which Harm was certain would eventually involve extra terrestrials in some way, he motioned towards his desk and said, "I know how to knock Bud. I was just talking to…" It was now Harm's turn to trail off as he turned to find the mysterious ensign once again missing. At Bud's questioning look, Harm quickly improvised. "Myself, I was just talking to myself. You know, practicing closing arguments and stuff." Harm sat down in his chair, half expecting the ensign to be hiding under the desk. She wasn't.  
  
"But sir, you just got back from medical leave, you don't have any cases yet, let alone a closing argument to make."  
  
Thinking fast, Harm decided it would be best to try and change the subject. "Yeah, well it never hurts to stay in fighting form and all that. But anyway, I assume there was some reason you came in here," Harm prompted.  
  
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot." Bud blushed a little realizing he'd almost neglected the reason he'd knocked in the first place. "The Admiral wanted to see you and Colonel Mackenzie."  
  
"Thanks Bud. I'll tell Mac."  
  
Harm stood up as Bud stammered out, "well actually, sir…"  
  
"What is it now Bud?"  
  
A beautiful voice he'd recognize anywhere answered from behind Bud. "Well if you'd give the man a chance to speak Harm, he'd have told you that I already know." Bud moved to the side to let Mac through the door and into Harm's office. "Thanks, Bud." Mac gave the lieutenant a quick smile to let him know he could get back to his own work. 'She sure has a amazing smile.' The thought flitted across Harm's mind before he could stop it. 'That's nowhere near where my mind should be right now. We're about to go see the Admiral and I can hardly look the man in the eye with thoughts like that about my partner in my head.' "You ready to go squid, or were you planning on letting the Admiral wait all day?" Mac gave Harm her best innocent look, as if she didn't already know the answer to that question.  
  
Harm decided to play along, rather than risk having to explain why he'd been so short with Bud earlier. "Well, I thought about letting him wait, but this is really the only time I'll be able to fit him into my busy schedule."  
  
Mac smiled as they crossed the bullpen and replied, "well if you want I can tell the Admiral that. I'm sure he'd hate to take up any of you valuable time."  
  
"Yeah, do that and we'll see how long it takes him to keelhaul me and ship me off to a sub under the Arctic ice." After a quick nod to Tiner to let him know they were ready to see the Admiral, Harm couldn't resist asking Mac, "Are you sure there wasn't anyone on the elevator this morning?"  
  
Mac bit back her sarcastic comment about flyboys and too much medication when she realized Harm wasn't kidding. He was really convinced that there had been some one on the elevator with him before she'd gotten on. She couldn't keep a slight note of concern out of her voice as she asked, "Are you sure you're ok Harm? If you don't feel up to work yet I'm sure the Admiral will understand." At Harm's look, which clearly said 'yeah right, remember that arctic sub we talked about?', she tried to make a joke out of it. "Come on, it's not everyday you get shot. At least it isn't for most people. But then you do have a tendency to find trouble no matter where you are."  
  
Harm's mouth twitched as he fought vainly to hold back a smile. "Hey, trouble finds me. And, if I recall correctly you were more than happy to participate in most of our schemes."  
  
Before Mac could make a suitable comeback, Tiner's voice interrupted. "The admiral will see you now."  
  
"Thanks Tiner." As he opened the door for his partner, Harm tried to get his mind back to the matter at hand. He was here to work, not see ensigns who apparently weren't really there. For the second time in less than an hour, Harm resigned himself to the fact that is was going to be a very long day.  
  
***********************************  
  
JAG Headquarters  
  
Falls Church, VA  
  
1754 Same Day  
  
With a sigh, Harm closed the last folder on is desk and put it in a box on the corner of his desk marked "out". 'Well, I was certainly right about one thing. This was a very long day,' Harm thought as he stood up to stretch his sore muscles. Harm glared at his chair that was merely on part of the conspiracy to make a man of his height so damn uncomfortable all the time. As he made his way around his desk to grab his coat and cover, Harm couldn't help staring across the bullpen to Mac's office. She had left at 1730 with most of the other personnel, and Harm had never gotten a chance to ask her about that dinner.  
  
Harm couldn't help grimacing as he remembered their meeting with the Admiral that morning. Harm would swear under oath that Mac and the Admiral had it all planned out before he ever even got there. 'How else could things have gotten so out of control without me even having a second to think about what was going on?' Harm asked himself. Before he had any inclination as to what was going on, his partner and his CO seemed to have come to an agreement that Harm needed a little more time before he was back to his usual standards. Thus, Harm had gotten himself a whole lot of paper work to do and not much else. By the end of the meeting, Harm had wanted to scream, "I got shot in the chest and believe it or not, I can still function like any other lawyer out there!" Besides earning himself a court martial, Harm didn't think the comment would do him much good so he'd kept it to himself.  
  
On the plus side though, the Admiral had assigned him to second-chair a couple cases with Mac, and that was always fun. It would mean getting to watch Mac at her best without having to worry about how to beat her. Oh, and of course there were all the late nights spent at each other's apartments going over the cases. That was always good. Harm's mind continued to wander as he made his way slowly to the elevator. In fact, he was so engrossed in his imaginings that when the elevator door opened, he began to walk forward without even looking up. This unfortunately caused a collision with the person exiting the elevator.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" Harm trailed off as he realized whom he'd just knocked down. "You! What are you doing back here? I thought I'd finally gotten rid of you!"  
  
The young ensign smiled as she got to her feet. Harm took advantage of their close proximity to get the name off her ID tag. It read simply "Sam". "Sorry, you're not that lucky," Sam replied. "But don't worry, I can't stay long." She paused as the elevator doors closed behind her and the compartment began to move down. "Listen, I don't have much time but"  
  
Harm cut her off in mid-sentence. "No, you listen. I don't know who you are or what you're doing here but I don't have time for this"  
  
Now it was Sam's turn to cut Harm off, "I know. That's what I just said. You really ought to try listening some time. I think it would do you wonders. Anyway, like I was saying…" She shot Harm a pointed glance to ensure there wouldn't be another interruption. At Harm's curt nod she continued. "Anyway, I don't have time to explain but say yes!"  
  
"Say yes?" Harm repeated skeptically.  
  
"Yes. You have to say yes if you want to get anywhere with her. Trust me on this. Say yes." The ensign nodded as she glanced at the elevator again.  
  
"Ok, I have no idea what you're talking about but if it will get you to leave me alone I'll say it. Yes." Harm looked at her expectantly. She merely sighed and gave him a look that clearly said 'How do you even remember to breath?'  
  
"Not to me idiot!" Harm made to protest at the comment but she cut him off before he could get a word out. "Just do it. I don't have time to argue, she'll be here any minute."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Do me a favor and just say yes, ok? You really are making this much harder than it has to be." Harm decided he'd had enough of the woman's games and was just about to let her know where she could stick this nonsense about saying yes when the elevator door opened. Harm turned around and was surprised to see Mac emerging.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harm asked before he thought to stop himself.  
  
Mac shot him a look before replying, "well don't look so happy to see me flyboy."  
  
Harm tried to cover his initial shock. "Of course I'm happy to see you Mac. I'm always happy to see you." A slight blush crept up Mac's cheeks at the comment. "I just thought you had already left for the night."  
  
"Well I did, but I'm back"  
  
"Any particular reason?"  
  
Mac looked a little embarrassed as her answer came out in a rush. "Well, I was supposed to go to this charity fund-raiser thing tonight, but I don't have a date. I thought you might like to go, and I was actually gonna ask you if you wanted to go that day you, well you know." Mac looked uncomfortable at having mentioned the day he got shot so she quickly pressed on. "Anyway, I told Bobbi I couldn't come because I had too much work, what with you having been on medical leave and all, but then I felt bad about lying so I decided to come back in and pick up some files to work on at home." Mac took a deep breath as Harm let out a little chuckle. "Watch it squid. Keep laughing and I may drag you to that party tonight just to get even."  
  
Unbidden, a tiny voice in the back of Harm's mind whispered, 'Say yes.' The voice sounded suspiciously like that of a certain young ensign he'd recently encountered. Without stopping to think, Harm blurted out, "yes."  
  
"What?" Mac turned back to him with confused eyes. "Yes what, Harm?"  
  
Harm knew if he wanted to back out of this really boring fundraiser with a lot of snotty rich people who weren't even able to get dressed by themselves in the morning, now was his only chance. He almost said "nothing. Don't worry about it Mac. I'll see you tomorrow." He almost got on the elevator to spend another night at home, alone. But that little voice wouldn't let him. "I said yes, I'd love to go to the party with you."  
  
Mac looked completely flabbergasted. She quickly recovered enough to choke out, "Oh Harm, I couldn't ask you to do that. It'll be really boring and you just got out of the hospital…" She trailed off as she saw the determined look creep into her partner's eyes. 'He only gets that look when he's flying or fighting, and I know exactly what it means. It means don't even bother, I've already won," Mac thought to herself. Well, who was she to argue? She could use a night out, especially if she got to spend it with her sailor.  
  
"Ok Harm. You win." Harm's face broke out into a smile at her answer, and Mac couldn't help returning it with one of her own. "But we better hurry flyboy, you're supposed to pick me up at 1900 sharp." Mac pressed the down button on the elevator. The files she had come to get lay forgotten on her desk.  
  
"Oh I am, am I? Well, Mom always said you shouldn't keep a lady waiting." Harm and Mac entered the elevator and began the descent to the ground floor. Harm cast a sidelong glance at Mac to see if she was still smiling. She was. The smile faded abruptly as Mac turned toward Harm.  
  
"Do you have anything to wear? I mean I already have a dress but this is a pretty high-end affair."  
  
Harm panicked for a second before an idea popped into his head. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to find something," he replied mysteriously. "See you at 1900 sharp!" Harm called as they separated in the parking lot. He was too far away to hear Mac's whispered answer.  
  
"I can hardly wait." Mac turned toward her car and couldn't keep the smile off her face. 


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys. Thanks for all the great feedback!! I know I'm really slow about getting new chapters up and this one's pretty short, but I am trying. I seem to be experiencing terrible writer's block. I hope you all like it and your comments are always appreciated! ~A  
  
Sarah Mackenzie's Apartment  
  
Georgetown  
  
1858  
  
Mac slipped the back on her diamond earring and took a last look in her mirror. Out of habit, she checked her internal clock. 'Harm has exactly one minute and 34 seconds before he's officially late. And if he is, I'll certainly have to tease him about it.' A smile flitted across Mac's face as she thought about teasing Harm all night. The smile faded, however, as she remembered how odd Harm had been acting all day. First he was talking to himself in the elevator, and then he had snapped at Bud, and then there was his sudden eagerness to attend this charity ball with her. Normally, both she and Harm avoided these affairs like the plague. There was nothing worse than watching a bunch of rich stiffs dance and talk about their stock portfolios. Not to mention the amount of alcohol usually served at such functions. 'Of course, I'm not gonna complain if Harm's volunteering to spend time with me.' Mac could hardly remember the last time she and Harm had ordered a pizza and just watched a movie together.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. '1900. He's right on time.' Mac smoothed the front of her dress one more time and pulled her apartment door open. At the sight of Harm, Mac had to remind herself to breath. Now she understood the secretive smile he'd had when he'd told her not to worry about him finding something to wear. He'd worn his mess dress. Mac couldn't believe it. He'd worn the one thing that could possibly make him more appealing than the dress whites and gold wings. She felt herself leaning against the edge of the door as she admired the view.  
  
Harm was having similar troubles at the sight of Mac. She stood before him in an emerald green dress that complimented her skin tone perfectly. It had tiny spaghetti straps and was perilously low-cut. It also fit her like a dream. The light material clung to her body in all the right ways, and Harm was finding it difficult to keep the blood in his brain and out of certain nether regions. As his partner leaned against her door, Harm caught a flash of skin and realized there was virtually no back to her dress at all. Harm couldn't keep the smile off his face as he gazed at the vision before him.  
  
Finally regaining some sense of composure, Harm broke the silence. "You look wonderful Mac."  
  
Mac gave a shy smile at the compliment and motioned for him to enter. "You look pretty good yourself, Sailor. I guess you do clean up pretty nice."  
  
"Now don't get too carried away," Harm replied, grateful that the mood had begun to lighten. It was a little early in the evening to let his thoughts stray in that direction. He took a few steps past Mac and waited for her to turn around. When she did, she found Harm holding out a bouquet of roses, six red and six white. Mac realized that she had been too busy staring at Harm to notice the flowers when she'd first answered the door. Before she could stop herself she took a quick step forward and put her hand on his shoulder. Using this handhold to balance, she stood on tiptoe and brushed a light kiss against his cheek. "Thanks Flyboy," she said as she took the flowers from him. "It's been a while since anyone brought me roses." Mac took the bouquet into the kitchen to find a vase.  
  
Harm brought his hand up to the spot on his cheek where Mac's lips had been a few moments before. 'If I'd know she'd do that, I would have started bringing flowers a long time ago," Harm mused. Mac brought the flowers and vase out to set on her mantle and noticed Harm still standing with his hand on his cheek.  
  
"Here, let me do that for you. You'll just end up with lipstick on those nice white gloves of yours and trust me lipstick does not come out." Mac reached up to wipe the remnants of her kiss from Harm's face. The cheek underneath her fingers was smooth, and Mac knew Harm had shaved again after work. Usually by this time, Harm had a nice five o'clock shadow that gave him a rather rugged look. Mac had always thought the facial hair made him look more like a fighter jock, especially when he was wearing his leather bomber jacket.  
  
Mac was quickly getting lost in her debate about whether Harm looked better clean-shaven or with a little stubble when she realized she still had her hand against Harm's cheek. She could feel the heat rising in her face as she automatically looked into Harm's eyes to see if he had noticed. There eyes locked, and Harm raised his hand to cover the one Mac was still holding against his cheek. He gently pressed the small hand against his lips, never breaking eye contact with Mac. In that look, he tried to convey everything he'd ever felt for this beautiful woman standing before him. He needed her to know just how important she was to him. Without giving himself a chance to think, Harm opened his mouth to speak the words that he'd been aching to say ever since a certain ferry ride in Australia……when Mac's phone rang.  
  
The pair stared at each other in disbelief, each wondering if the other would simply ignore the interruption and continue the moment they had unexpectedly stumbled into. But it had already been broken. The phone continued to ring, and Harm took a small step back to let Mac answer. He didn't even realize he was still holding her hand until he felt it slide from his grasp as she moved across the room.  
  
Frustrated, Mac answered the phone in a rather irritated voice, "Yes?" A slight pause as she listened to whoever was at the other end of the line. "Yes, Bobbi I left a message on your cell phone for you. I wanted to let you know that I had decided to come to the party tonight after all." Again a pause. Harm noticed Mac shoot a furtive glance in his direction before turning away and replying in a low voice, "Yes, I found one. I know what good timing, huh? Ok, Bobbi I'll see you there. Bye."  
  
Mac hung up the phone and walked back over to where Harm held her coat out for her. "What was that about?" Harm asked innocently.  
  
"I'd left a message with Bobbi to tell her I was coming tonight after all and she just wanted to double check." Mac took a last look around her apartment, grabbed her keys and motioned Harm out the door. The last thing she needed was for her ever perceptive partner to realize she'd just told Bobbi that he was her date, and she figured getting him moving would be the best distraction.  
  
Unfortunately for the marine, Harm's cross-examining skills had kicked in and he wasn't about to let the matter drop. "Yeah, I got that part. But it seemed like she also asked you if you'd found something. Remember, you said 'Yes, I found one.'" Harm quirked an eyebrow and put on his 'I'm your best friend face' that she'd often see him use in an effort to trip up unsuspecting defendants in court.  
  
Trying to avoid his eyes, Mac turned back towards her door to lock it. "Oh, that was nothing. Just something we had talked about earlier. I had lost my…" The sentence trailed off as Mac frantically racked her brain to come up with something she could have lost that wasn't important to have told Harm about, yet had been important enough to warrant mentioning it to Bobbi in idle conversation. She came up with a complete blank. 'I should have quit while I was ahead,' she thought to herself.  
  
Harm decided to let her off the hook. "Well, I'm sure whatever it was it couldn't have been that important if you've forgotten about it already." Harm placed his hand at the small of her back and began leading her down the hall.  
  
Knowing he'd let it drop, Mac flashed Harm a grateful smile. At the same time, she couldn't stop herself from musing about just how important this date was. 


	5. Chapter 5

All right guys, here's the next part. I didn't expect the party to take this long, but the story seems to have a mind of it's own!!  
  
Thanks to everyone for the great feedback. You guys are wonderful!! Thanks for sticking with the story, especially since it's taking forever!! Disclaimers are in Chapter 1.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Charity Benefit Ball  
  
Carter Center Ballroom  
  
1937  
  
After producing their invitation for the security guards at the door, Harm leaned over and whispered in Mac's ear, "I never understood why they thought people would want to sneak into these things. They should be more worried about people sneaking out."  
  
Mac went to give him a playful slap on the arm, but he easily caught her hand and brought it to his lips. After placing a gentle kiss on the top of it, Harm placed her hand in the crook of his arm to escort her into the ballroom. He once again whispered in her ear, "Now Mac, we are in public so you'll have to play nice." Mac was prepared to deliver a suitably sarcastic rejoinder but found herself at a loss for words when Harm lingered near her ear for a moment more than was actually necessary. She could feel his warm breath tickle her ear and even caught a faint sniff of his aftershave before he pulled away. She could already tell it was going to be a long night, and she for one planned on thoroughly enjoying it.  
  
The ballroom itself was stunning, if a little over done. There were beautiful scenes painted on the ceilings, including reproductions of Michelangelo's famous frescos. There were old, polished mirrors hanging along the walls and more paintings hung among them. Tables with ornate centerpieces had been set up in the room, clumped in groups around the edges to allow plenty of room to dance. And of course, what ball would be complete without Washington's own version of the rich and famous. Senators mingled with CEOs in an attempt to secure campaign funding while senators' wives mingled with any handsome man they could find. Mac noticed a few of these women eyeing the Naval Commander at her side and quickly pulled him further into the room in search of a familiar face. Harm, of course, found the familiar face first.  
  
"Sturgis, buddy. What are you doing here?" Harm asked as he walked up to his co-worker and academy friend.  
  
Sturgis paused a moment before answering as he took in the scene before him. Harm and Mac had walked in together, her arm in his, and they seemed rather cozy with one another. Mac looked amazing, and Harm had even managed to clean himself up and look presentable. This in itself gave Sturgis something to think about. He knew how much his old friend disliked this type of get together. In fact, he could still remember how many times Harm had gotten into hot water during their academy days for skipping out on some of the more formal affairs. 'Of course,' Sturgis thought to himself, 'he did take a bullet for Mac so I shouldn't really be that surprised. Maybe he'll finally get his head out of his six and see what's right in front of his face.'  
  
"Hello, Harm. Colonel."  
  
"We're off duty Sturgis. You can call me Mac," Mac interrupted.  
  
"Right, Mac." Sturgis didn't know if he'd ever get comfortable with how close the rest of the office staff was. He was certainly willing to try though. "Well, I'm her with Congresswoman Latham. She asked if I knew anyone who would be interested in escorting her and I was more than happy to offer my services." Harm could just imagine Bobbi "asking" if Sturgis would escort her. Harm was familiar with her authoritative methods and could tell by the twinkle of amusement in Sturgis' eye that his friend was familiar with them too.  
  
Bobbi approached the small group and placed her arm on Sturgis's. "Mac I'm so glad you made it," Bobbi said. She leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "Just between you and me, these people are driving me crazy! Just once I want to go to one of these things and not have to talk politics."  
  
"Oh, you know you love it. That's what makes you such a great politician," Mac replied. "You've just been bored since Senator Fairebourn retired because there's no one else here who could talk politics and sound like he's talking about anything but."  
  
Bobbi nodded her head in agreement. "You're probably right. I still remember the time we argued about women in the military for an hour without the words 'woman' or 'military' even appearing in the conversation. That was a man who understood the subtlety of politics." Bobbi sighed. "Who knows, maybe I'm just getting old."  
  
"I don't know, you certainly aren't looking old to me," Sturgis quipped. Both Mac and Harm looked at their colleague with surprise on their faces. That wasn't the kind of comment they expected from the straight-laced Sturgis. It sounded more like something Harm would say. A sheepish grin appeared on Sturgis's face, who seemed just as surprised.  
  
Oblivious to the stares of Harm and Mac, Bobbi turned to Sturgis and replied, "and don't you forget it."  
  
"Don't think I could even if I tried."  
  
Harm and Mac began to feel as if they were intruding, so they quietly excused themselves and made their way out to the dance floor. The band had just struck up a slow waltz as Harm offered his hand to Mac. She placed her other hand on his shoulder while he placed his other hand lightly against her back. The pair swayed slowly in time with the music, completely oblivious to the other couples on the dance floor. Harm soon found himself wishing he wasn't wearing his gloves, as they put a barrier between his hand and Mac's smooth back. Only a small barrier of course, but a barrier nonetheless.  
  
As the dance continued, Mac's hand slowly slid up until it rested behind Harm's head. She even found herself playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Harm, on the other hand, began pulling Mac closer and lightly running his hand over her back. When Mac was close enough, Harm leaned his cheek gently against the top of her head, savoring the lovely scent of her shampoo. 'Definitely some type of fruit. Strawberries maybe. Yeah, it definitely smells like strawberries.'  
  
Harm couldn't get over the feel of finally having his Marine in his arms. She was so beautiful and intelligent and caring and…well Harm could go on forever about her. But it was more than that. Dancing with her like this felt right. It felt like……home. 'Whoa, that's a little much. Maybe I should be taking this slower. And when did I start thinking of Mac as my Marine?' Harm questioned himself. 'Besides,' he rationalized, 'that ship sailed out of Sydney Harbor a long time ago. Didn't it?' Harm knew he told himself this all the time, and ninety-eight percent of the time he believed it. But that other two percent of the time he didn't believe a word of his excuses. It could have been his flyboy ego, his Rabb stubbornness, or just his basic need for human hope, but sometimes Harm couldn't bear the thought of a life without Mac.  
  
And during that two percent of the time, when he allowed himself to entertain these thoughts, Harm figured that if he played his cards right he might actually be happy. 'Yeah, the only problem with that is I never seem to play the cards right,' Harm berated himself. 'I'm too busy getting my foot stuck in my mouth to notice the game has even started.' Harm grimaced as he remembered all the times an off-hand comment about Mac had come back to bite him in the six. He considered himself lucky that she hadn't tried to keelhaul him yet.  
  
"Harm, is something wrong?" Mac asked.  
  
Harm quickly shook off his negative thoughts to notice that the music had stopped. Mac had pulled back slightly when it did, just in time to notice Harm's face as he contemplated all the mistakes he had made in his relationship with her. "No, I'm fine," he quickly replied.  
  
Mac, however, wasn't convinced. "Are you sure, Flyboy? That look you were wearing a few seconds ago was anything but fine." Mac recalled the incidents at the office earlier that day and once again began to worry about her partner.  
  
Knowing he had to come up with some excuse before Mac started feeling his forehead and taking his temperature, Harm recalled their earlier conversation. "Oh, was I making a face? I can't imagine why. I was just thinking about all the fun we'll have here tonight. I can't imagine why the idea of spending hours mingling with D.C. bigwigs would put a look like that on my face."  
  
Make tried to keep a straight face as she replied, "Well, at least you have me."  
  
"I know," Harm answered. He then leaned in closer to whisper, "And I thank the man upstairs for that every day." Mac was surprised by the revelation, but very pleased by it also.  
  
She felt herself beginning to blush and quickly turned away. Turning back, however, she found Harm was still leaning in and that their faces were mere inches apart. Involuntarily, her glance flickered down to Harm's lips before locking with her partner's. She felt herself getting closer and closer to Harm as he himself also moved to close the small distance that separated them. 'This is it,' Harm thought to himself. 'I'm finally gonna kiss her and tell her exactly how I feel.' Harm closed his eyes and prepared himself for a kiss he knew he'd never forget. 


End file.
